booktalesy Chapter 24 Camping
Chapter 24 Camping
The next few days.
Chen Mo goes for a run every morning, writes novels at night, and his projects during the day proceed as usual; everything is going smoothly.
The weekend is almost here.
Saturday morning sunlight streamed into the bedroom through the gaps in the curtains.
Chen Mo woke up at around eight o'clock.
As usual, he first glanced at the system interface that popped up.
[A Brave Run: 7/10]
[Courageous Lifestyle Enthusiasts: 45%]
[The Brave Novelist: Updating (2.2 words published, not yet signed)]
The morning run task has been completed seven times, the lifestyle enthusiast's progress is steadily improving, and the novelist's task is still in progress.
His fantasy family novel, published on Qidian, has been updated for five days and has accumulated 22,000 words.
However, the backend still shows "under review" and I have not yet received a contract signing message from the website.
"Hold on for three more days. If there's still no news by the time we reach 30,000, then give up."
Chen Mo was washing up while making plans in his mind.
This 30,000-word limit is a threshold; if the editor still doesn't express interest in signing a contract after reading it, it means it's not suitable.
He wasn't too disappointed.
After all, writing is an experiment; success is great, but failure is no big deal.
After washing up and changing into his workout clothes, Chen Mo went downstairs to start his morning run.
The five-kilometer distance is now quite easy for him to run, and he can even speed up slightly in the second half.
When we reached the last stretch, the system notification sounded right on time.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the "Run Bravely" mission (8/10)]
[Rewards: Appearance +0.5, Health +1, Courage +100]
[Attribute Update:]
Appearance: 77.5 (Good)
[Health: 62 (Average)]
System Level LV1: 3700/10000
After finishing his run and returning home, Chen Mo took a shower and was about to make breakfast when his phone vibrated.
It was a WeChat message from Zhongyi.
Zhongyi: [Hey food buddy, are you going camping this afternoon?]
Chen Mo looked at the message and hesitated for a moment.
His original plan was to stay home and write his novel today, trying to increase his drafts.
After all, if a contract can be signed, it's always good to have more drafts in reserve.
But then I thought about it again and realized that I hadn't participated in any group activities in a long time, and Zhongyi had mentioned it several times before, so it didn't seem right not to go.
Just as he was hesitating, the system interface suddenly popped up.
[A social opportunity has been detected, triggering a timed system task]
【Mission Name: Brave Camping】
[Task objective: Participate in Zhongyi's camping trip and build good relationships with her friends.]
[Task Rewards: Emotional Intelligence +1, Culinary Skills +5, Courage +150]
[Note: Courage in middle age also includes actively expanding one's social circle, moving from a closed personal world to rich interpersonal interactions.]
Seeing the "Cooking Skills +5" reward in the mission rewards, Chen Mo was tempted.
His current cooking skill attribute is [Skill: Beginner Cooking (38/100)]. If these 5 points are added, he will be almost halfway to the beginner level.
More importantly, participating in group activities is itself part of the "Brave Lifestyle" mission.
Chen Mo replied without further hesitation.
[Go, what time in the afternoon? Where do we meet?]
Zhongyi quickly sent a message.
Great! We'll meet at the east gate of Binjiang Park at 2 PM and drive there. Remember to wear sportswear and bring a jacket, it might get a bit chilly in the evening.
Chen Mo: [Okay, is there anything I need to bring?]
Zhongyi: [No need, we've already prepared the ingredients and tools, you just need to come.]
Chen Mo: [Okay, see you this afternoon.]
After putting down his phone, Chen Mo ate a simple breakfast and then turned on his computer to start writing his novel.
Since I'm going out this afternoon, I need to finish today's update this morning.
My writing is going well; I wrote 3,000 words in an hour and a half, which, combined with what I wrote yesterday, is enough for two days of updates.
He logged into the author's backend and posted today's chapter.
Seeing the "Published successfully" message, Chen Mo refreshed the backend several times, but still did not sign a contract with the website.
"Let it be."
He shut down his computer and began preparing his things for the afternoon's outing.
At 1:30 p.m., Chen Mo left home early and took the subway to Binjiang Park.
The afternoon sun in autumn is warm but not glaring, and the sky is a clear, deep blue.
Several cars were already parked near the east gate of Binjiang Park, and Chen Mo spotted Zhong Yi from afar.
She wore a beige outdoor sportswear outfit today, with her hair tied in a high ponytail, making her look exceptionally energetic.
"Chen Mo, over here!"
Zhongyi also saw him and waved to him.
Chen Mo walked over and found that besides Zhong Yi, there were three men and two women, all young people in their twenties.
"Let me introduce you, this is my friend Chen Mo."
Zhong Yi smiled and said to everyone, "Chen Mo, these are all my college classmates and friends."
This is Zhang Wei, this is Li Ting, this is Wang Hao, this is Zhao Lin, and this is Sun Ming.
Chen Mo greeted everyone, and they all responded in a friendly manner.
"What does Chen Mo do?" Li Ting asked curiously.
"Programmer".
Wow, that's amazing!
Zhang Wei laughed and said, "I'm a designer, so we're practically colleagues; we're both tech people."
"More or less," Chen Mo nodded with a smile.
"Alright, everyone's here, let's go."
Zhong clapped his hands and said, "The campsite is in Cuihu Park in the northern suburbs, about a forty-minute drive away."
The group split into two cars, with Chen Mo, Zhong Yi, Zhang Wei, and Li Ting in one.
Everyone had a great time chatting on the way.
Chen Mo found that his favorite friends were all easy to get along with, spoke directly, and didn't beat around the bush.
"Chen Mo, Zhongyi says you have a big appetite; you're her new dining buddy."
Sitting in the passenger seat, Li Ting turned around and smiled, "We're in for a treat today. I know Zhongyi's cooking skills; anyone she approves of must be extraordinary."
"I just enjoy eating; my cooking skills are just average," Chen Mo said modestly.
Don't be modest.
While driving, Zhong Yi said, "Last time we had dinner together, you said you could cook and promised to cook for me in the future."
"That's perfect today."
Zhang Weiqi chimed in, "Camping is all about doing things yourself to make it fun. Chen Mo, how about showing off your skills tonight?"
Chen Mo was a little embarrassed: "I only know how to cook a few home-style dishes, I'm afraid they won't suit everyone's taste."
"It's okay, we're not picky."
Li Ting laughed and said, "Besides, what you eat while camping isn't important; what matters is the atmosphere."
Chen Mo thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Okay, I'll give it a try."
Forty minutes later, the car arrived at Cuihu Park.
This is a large natural park with lakes, mountains, and lawns; the environment is excellent.
There were quite a few people camping on the weekend, but Zhongyi booked a good spot in advance, close to the lake and relatively quiet.
After parking the car, everyone started unloading things from the trunk.
Tents, canopies, folding tables and chairs, barbecue grills, food boxes... there's a lot of stuff.
Chen Mo offered to help, and together with Zhang Wei, they carried the heaviest barbecue grill and food boxes to the campsite.
"Chen Mo, you're quite strong."
Zhang Wei said with some surprise, "You seem so quiet and gentle, but I didn't expect you to be so efficient at work."
"I exercise regularly," Chen Mo said with a smile.
Actually, it's because of the improvement in his health attributes; his physical condition is indeed much better than before.
When setting up the tent, Chen Mo also showed a lot of experience.
He participated in several club camping trips during his university years, so he has some basic outdoor skills.
"Wow, not bad, Chen Mo."
Zhongyi watched him skillfully secure the tent pegs and exclaimed in surprise, "I thought you were the kind of homebody you are. I didn't expect you to be so skilled in outdoor activities."
"I've played it a few times before."
Chen Mo said as he adjusted the angle of the tent.
"You're really good at hiding your abilities." Zhang Wei gave a thumbs up.
With everyone's cooperation, the campsite was set up in less than an hour.
A six-person tent, a canopy, tables and chairs arranged neatly, and a barbecue grill set up.
It was already past four in the afternoon, and the sunlight was slanting across the lake, making the surface shimmer.
"Take a break and have something to drink."
Zhongyi took out a few bottles of drinks from the insulated box and shared them with everyone.
The group sat under the sky, enjoying the lake breeze, drinking chilled beverages, and gazing at the distant lake and mountain scenery, feeling very comfortable.
"This place is really nice," Chen Mo remarked.
"Right? I've discovered a treasure campsite."
Zhong Yi said smugly, "There aren't many people, the environment is nice, and we can even see the sunset."
"Indeed, it's much better than those crowded, trendy campsites," Li Ting nodded in agreement.
After resting for a while, Zhongyi checked the time and said, "It's almost time to prepare dinner. What are we having for dinner today?"
"Let's have a barbecue."
Wang Hao said, "All the ingredients are ready."
"But just grilling is too monotonous."
Zhao Lin suggested, "How about we make something else? Like a soup or a stir-fry?"
"sure."
Zhang Wei looked at Chen Mo: "Chen Mo, didn't you say you could cook? Why don't you give it a try?"
All eyes were on Chen Mo.
Chen Mo hesitated for a moment.
He can indeed cook, and his culinary skill attribute is 38 points, which is not low.
But it was my first time showing it in front of so many people, so I was a little embarrassed.
"They brought a pretty complete set of ingredients."
Zhongyi opened the ingredient box and said, "There are chicken wings, ribs, and pork belly for grilling, as well as vegetables, potatoes, and eggs for stir-frying. All the seasonings are also included."
She looked at Chen Mo, her eyes filled with expectation.
"Why don't you give it a try? It's camping after all, so it doesn't matter if it doesn't taste good."
Looking at everyone's expectant eyes and remembering the system task, Chen Mo finally nodded.
"Okay, I'll give it a try."
"Very good!"
Zhong Yi smiled and asked, "Do you need any help?"
"Help me wash and chop the vegetables."
Chen Mo said, "I'll prepare the rest."
Everyone divided the work and quickly got to work.
Li Ting and Zhong Yi were in charge of washing and chopping vegetables, Zhang Wei and Wang Hao were in charge of starting the fire to prepare for the barbecue, and Zhao Lin and Sun Ming assisted.
Chen Mo then began to examine the ingredients and seasonings.
The ingredients are indeed plentiful: leafy greens, potatoes, green peppers, tomatoes, eggs, chicken wings, ribs, pork belly, ham sausage...
Seasonings include oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, scallions, ginger, garlic, chili peppers, and Sichuan peppercorns.
"What would you like to eat?" Chen Mo asked.
"What can you do?" Zhong Yi asked in return.
Chen Mo thought for a moment and said, "Stir-fried green peppers and pork, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and shredded potatoes are all good home-style dishes. For soup, we can make a simple vegetable soup."
"I'll do it!"
Zhang Wei said excitedly, "There are six of us. Three dishes, a soup, plus barbecue, that's enough for us."
"OK."
Chen Mo began to make plans.
He first processed the meat that needed to be marinated.
Marinate the chicken wings and ribs with cooking wine, light soy sauce, ginger, and garlic; this will make them more flavorful after baking.
Then start preparing the ingredients for the stir-fry.
Cut green bell peppers into strips, potatoes into strips and soak them in water, tomatoes into chunks, and eggs into beaten eggs...
His movements were very skilled, his chopping rhythm was even, and his knife skills looked quite good.
"Wow, Chen Mo, your knife skills are amazing!"
Li Ting watched Chen Mo slicing potatoes and exclaimed in surprise, "You slice them so quickly and evenly, much better than me!"
"It's alright," Chen Mo said with a smile.
Actually, it's because of the improvement in cooking skills that these basic skills have been enhanced.
After completing the preparations, Chen Mo began cooking.
The stove at the campsite is quite simple; it's a portable gas stove, but the firepower is sufficient.
The first dish was shredded pork with green peppers.
Heat oil in a pan, add shredded meat and stir-fry until it changes color, then remove from the pan.
Add the shredded green bell peppers and stir-fry. Season with salt and a little light soy sauce. Finally, add the stir-fried shredded meat, stir-fry quickly and evenly, and serve.
The whole process was smooth and quick; in less than five minutes, a plate of delicious and visually appealing shredded pork with green peppers was ready.
"It smells so good!"
Zhao Lin leaned closer to smell it and said, "The color and the fragrance are absolutely amazing."
"Let me try it first." Zhong Yi eagerly picked up a piece with her chopsticks.
The moment Zhongyi tasted the shredded pork with green peppers, her eyes lit up immediately.
"tasty!"
She gave Chen Mo a thumbs up and said, "The shredded pork is tender and smooth, the green peppers are crisp and refreshing, the flavor is just right, not too salty or bland, it's really delicious!"
The others also tasted it, and they all praised it highly.
"Chen Mo, you're amazing."
As Zhang Wei ate, he remarked, "This level of skill is almost on par with a restaurant chef."
"It's not that exaggerated," Chen Mo said modestly, but he was secretly pleased.
Next up is scrambled eggs with tomatoes.
Heat oil, add beaten eggs, and stir-fry until golden brown and fluffy. Remove from heat.
Add the tomatoes and stir-fry until they release their juices. Then add a little sugar and salt to taste. Finally, add the scrambled eggs and stir-fry evenly.
This is another simple yet delicious home-style dish.
"This is delicious too."
Li Ting praised, "The eggs are scrambled so tenderly, and the sweet and sour taste of the tomatoes is just right."
The third dish was hot and sour shredded potatoes.
This is one of Chen Mo's signature dishes.
Blanch the shredded potatoes and drain. Heat oil in a pan, add dried chili peppers and Sichuan peppercorns and sauté until fragrant. Then add the shredded potatoes and stir-fry quickly. Season with vinegar, salt, and a little sugar. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions.
It's tangy and spicy, appetizing, and crisp and refreshing.
"This is so good with rice."
Wang Hao couldn't stop eating and said, "It's a pity I didn't bring rice today."
"It's fine, it goes perfectly with barbecue," Sun Ming said.
Finally, there was vegetable soup.
Boil water, add washed greens, cook until just tender, then add salt and a little sesame oil to taste. It's simple yet refreshingly sweet.
With three dishes and a soup all prepared, plus the chicken wings, ribs and pork belly that Zhang Wei and his team had grilled, a sumptuous camping dinner was ready.
The group sat under the sky, the afterglow of the setting sun casting a golden glow on the lake.
"Come on, let's toast to our chef, Chen Mo!"
Zhongyi picked up the beverage bottle.
"Cheers!"
Everyone clinked glasses, and the atmosphere was lively.
"Chen Mo, is it really true that you only know a little bit?"
While eating, Li Ting said, "This level of skill is clearly very professional, isn't it?"
"That's right, it tastes even better than my mom's cooking," Zhao Lin agreed.
"No, just some home-style dishes."
Chen Mo was a little embarrassed, but he was actually quite happy.
Seeing everyone enjoying their meal so much gave me a real sense of accomplishment.
[Cooking skills have been recognized; Skill Experience Points +10]
[Skill: Beginner Cooking (48/100)]
The system's notification made Chen Mo even happier.
This meal directly added 10 experience points, much more than I usually gain from cooking.
It seems that improving culinary skills depends not only on practice, but also on gaining recognition and feedback from others.
"Chen Mo, you should play with us often from now on."
Zhang Wei said earnestly, "Just based on your skills, we must recruit you as a regular member."
"Yes, I'll invite you again next time we go camping." Wang Hao nodded.
"No problem," Chen Mo replied politely with a smile.
This dinner took almost two hours to finish.
Everyone ate and chatted, talking about everything from work to life, from hobbies to ideals.
Chen Mo discovered that his favorite friends were all genuine, without much pretense or affectation, making them very comfortable to be around.
As night fell, the temperature by the lake began to drop.
Everyone put on their coats, sat around the campfire, and continued chatting.
A friend of mine suddenly took out his guitar and began to play and sing softly.
It is a folk song with a simple yet moving melody.
Chen Mo leaned back in his chair, watching the campfire, listening to the songs, and feeling the evening breeze.
At that moment, he truly felt the beauty of life.
[Congratulations, host, on completing the "Brave Camping" mission]
[Rewards: Emotional Intelligence +1, Culinary Skills +5, Courage +150]
[Current attribute update:]
Emotional Intelligence: 75 (Good)
[Skill: Beginner Cooking (53/100)]
System Level LV1: 3850/10000
[Courageous Lifestyle Enthusiasts: 50%]
The lifestyle expert's progress jumped by 5% in one go, it seems that today's camping trip really enriched the life experience.
……
At this moment, Zhong Yi suddenly remembered the time Chen Mo sang at the restaurant.
She immediately smiled again and said to her friends, "My friend Chen Mo actually sings very well! Do you want to hear him sing?"
Chen Mo: "(⊙o⊙)..."